Do voter ID and early voting laws really matter?

Two hot topics for those of us who have an interest in elections — namely restrictive voter identification requirements and the curtailment of early voting — have generated a lot of debate and reporting that might suggest there is little hard evidence about their actual effect on voting behavior. In fact, there has been substantial research and testing that should allow us to analyze these trends without the hype.

Voter ID Laws

Supporters of more stringent voter identification laws claim that these requirements prevent voter fraud. Opponents argue that rigorous voter ID rules target racial and ethnic minorities, the poor and younger voters who are significantly less likely to have the required forms of identification, usually a drivers license or passport.

In-person early voting and other reforms (e.g., vote-by-mail) have been in operation for nearly two decades, so we can better evaluate their effect on voter turnout. In-person early voting, first adopted in Texas in 1989, allows voters to cast a ballot at any number of locations days or weeks before Election Day. Vote-by-mail allows voters to request or receive an unsolicited ballot in the mail, which they can return on or before Election Day by mail. The expectation of early voting was that it would result in greater voter participation, particularly among traditionally underrepresented voters (i.e., the young and racial and ethnic minorities). To date, the evidence to support this expectation has been scant and at best modest. Few researchers have found that any form of early voting — in-person or by mail — has had a significant or large effect on voter turnout.

So, why is there so much attention on voter identification and early voting? In the case of voter identification, the issue has become emblematic for the Republican Party and its supporters. The issue is not whether there is voter fraud or whether voter identification requirements reduce fraud; the issue is largely symbolic and framed as means of protecting the integrity of elections. Similarly, efforts to curtail early voting have originated with Republican legislators. Recent legislation has focused on curtailing the numbers of days of early voting, specifically early voting on the weekends before Election Day when African-American churches organize drives for their members, largely Democrats, to vote. Ironically, the evidence is that early voters are disproportionately older, Anglo and Republican.

That’s not to say that there aren’t ways to improve voter participation.

The reason: With Election Day vote centers, each voting site is larger, with a greater number of voting machines, poll workers and parking spaces. There are fewer sites, but they are more centrally located to major population centers and proximate to major roadways, rather than distributed among many smaller residential locations. The result is a more efficient Election Day operation in which voters report shorter waiting times to vote, more effective assistance from poll workers and less difficulty finding the polling place location and parking.

Robert Stein, Ph.D., is the fellow in urban politics at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. He is also Rice University’s Lena Gohlman Fox Professor of Political Science and a nationally recognized political analyst and expert on elections.

As to the Acorn bit… there are a number of organizations out there that seek to get people to vote. First thing that needs to happen to increase the number of voters is to register the voter. This is where the complaints actually lie. Most of these organizations hire people to get cards filled out, and some pay people by the card. Naturally some people try to scam the system by “creatively” filling out the card. These go to the State Election board/controller (etc.) and are evaluated for correctness, completeness and authenticity. This is where the bad cards get tossed out, and thus no registration occurred. If a person goes under a false identity and votes for someone else, if that person shows up to vote, then it will show up that they voted twice, which sends up all sorts of red flags. More than likely your friend saw some people getting registration cards filled out that likely were dumped later.

Motor voter is probably the greatest promoter of ineligible voters. All a person has to do is gather up the appropriate fake paper work and get a drivers license…next step…do you want to register to vote…answer si.
Obviously the requirements for the drivers license need to be improved. requiring appropriate identification to vote only makes good sense. All of the arguments in opposition make no sense. A person has to be able to identify themselves to transact a number of personal business matters, the requirements for those transactions require identification identical to what is not required for voters.
I like early voting, it does not require me to stand in line. I do not like large crowds or even small crowds…early voting is a very nice convenience.

First, I must applaud the photograph that accompanies the article, a lovely display of actual law breaking, “bandit” signs in the public right-of-way.

As Mr. Stein notes, “There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud” so why is there a problem with allowing a voter to simply use their state issued, voter registration card that was mailed to their home?

He also knows full well that the burden to prove the new Voter ID law will not effect voter participation lies with the State. So claiming, “there is no compelling evidence to demonstrate that voter identification requirements…has a significant…effect on suppressing voter participation”, has no merit. Due to past bad actions, the state is not allowed the benefit of the doubt.

Indeed, the Texas Tribune notes that an “estimated 605,500 registered voters who do not have a state-issued license or ID” would not be allowed to vote under the new rules unless they present an alternate form of ID.

Since there is no evidence of voter fraud, what is to be gained by making it more difficult for over half a million Texans to cast their lawful vote?

I am glad we finally have a voter ID bill, but I just wish they had taken it one step further with a laminated pictorial voter ID card with a scan tron number on the back. We have no idea how many college students vote at home AND away at college or how many dead persons have voted. A voter ID than can be scanned would let the election judge know if the person has not voted somewhere else before, which will be the case with all of the “voting centers” with no accountability on who voted where if all of the election paperwork is done by hand.

Whether or not there is evidence of widespread voter fraud, if there is any fraud at all there should be adequate safeguards to prevent it.

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The mission of the nonpartisan James A. Baker III Institute for Public
Policy is to help bridge the gap between theory and practice of public
policy by drawing together experts from academic, government, media, business
and nongovernmental organizations. By involving policymakers, scholars
and students, the institute seeks to improve the debate on selected public
policy issues and to make a difference in the formulation, implementation and
evaluation of public policy. The institute’s more than 20 programs, which include research, speaking series, events and special projects, have helped attract a host of prominent leaders who provide their views and insights on key issues.